


Attraction

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: ATA Gene, Aliens Make Them Do It, Ascension, Developing Relationship, Episode: s01e01 Rising, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Potential Relationship(s), Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-06
Updated: 2009-04-06
Packaged: 2017-11-14 12:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/515106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lately Daniel had been noticing something odd. Jack had often commented that Daniel was like a magnet, attracting every bad guy or girl in sight, but recently it was more than that. Now he wasn't just attracting bad guys. Now he was attracting good guys.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Attraction

**Author's Note:**

> For Manic's challenge on Wraithbait, "People have always been drawn to Daniel, but the attraction is deeper for those who carry the ATA gene. What I'm really looking for here, is a little John/Daniel, but feel free to explore other options. Bonus if you throw in some aspect of ascension."

Lately Daniel had been noticing something odd. Jack had often commented that Daniel was like a magnet, attracting every bad guy or girl in sight, but recently it was more than that. Now he wasn't just attracting bad guys. Now he was attracting good guys.

He'd noticed it first with Jack. Whenever he managed to come up to Antarctica, Jack would practically _cling_ to Daniel from the moment he arrived. He would follow Daniel around like a puppy, refusing to let him out of his sight. He claimed it was just because he missed Daniel, but the archeologist wasn't buying it.

He'd been prepared to chalk it up to the mystery that was Jack O'Neill, but then Daniel noticed some odd behavior from one of the doctors, Carson Beckett, and a biologist, Akisame Iijima.

It wasn't that there was anything particularly _sinister_ happening, but Daniel still noticed the two hanging around him a lot. Of course, their reasons made complete sense. Iijima was investigating the physiological changes of Ascension, and Beckett was working on his ATA gene therapy. Both thought that Daniel's trip through ascension might help with their research, and he was willing to help.

Still, he sometimes found their unyielding attention almost _creepy_. In fact, it got even worse when Jack was around. With his strong ATA gene, he was essential to Beckett's work, and since he refused to leave Daniel's side, the good doctor tagged along as well.

Daniel was on the verge of going to Dr. Weir, to request that her two team members stop following him around (there was simply nothing he could ever do about Jack) when a new trouble jumped into the mix.

Daniel was struggling with an armful of files when two hands reached into his vision, removing the top of the stack.

"Here, let me help you with that, Doc," a pleasant voice said.

His vision now clear, Daniel glanced over at his helper and saw the new pilot who had brought Jack to the base the week before. "Thank you."

"Where're you headed?" the man - Daniel thought his name was Sheppard - asked, a large smile on his face.

"My office," Daniel replied. It still felt odd calling this little room his office, when he had a perfectly cozy one back at Stargate Command, but for the time being, that's what it was.

"Well I have no clue where that is, so you should probably lead the way," the pilot said, adjusting his arms around the stack of files he had taken.

"Right," Daniel began walking again. "It's just down this hall here."

"Great." The pilot fell into step behind him. "I'm Major John Sheppard."

"Dr. Daniel Jackson." Daniel replied, feeling a tiny streak of pride that he had correctly remembered the man's name. However, as they continued down the hall, Daniel could feel the intense gaze of the other man on his back, making the hairs on his neck stand on end.

"So, what kind of Doctor are you?" Sheppard asked politely.

"Oh, Archeology and Linguistics," Daniel replied quickly.

"Huh. Do those fields actually come in handy very often on other planets?"

Daniel spun around, prepared to go into an offended rant, but he saw the genuine curiosity and surprise in the other man's face and stopped himself. "How long have you been here?" he asked instead.

Sheppard grinned, seeming not to care that Daniel had changed the subject. "A little over a week."

"I see. No wonder you didn't know. Yes, Archeology and Linguistics have been very important to the Stargate program. In fact, without Linguistics and Archeology, the original Stargate wouldn't have been found and made operational."

"Huh." Sheppard seemed to consider that for a moment. "So with you having both, you must be a good asset."

"I suppose," Daniel admitted. "I am a member of SG-1."

"SG-1?"

Daniel again reminded himself that this pilot was new. "SG Teams are the groups who go through the gate on a regular basis," he explained. "SG-1 is the oldest, the flagship team."

"Oh." Sheppard seemed to consider that. "How long have you been with the program?"

Daniel smiled to himself. "About nine and a half years." He heard the pilot misstep behind him.

"I thought Dr. Beckett told me this program had only been running for 8 years?" Sheppard sounded skeptical, like he was debating which of the two doctors to believe.

At last Daniel took pity on him. "The program as it currently operates has been running for 8 years. Some of us, including General O'Neill, Colonel Carter, and myself, were involved before the current setup was established," he explained.

"Wow." Sheppard whistled. "I can't imagine being stationed in one place for so long. Especially if it was as insanely white as this base is."

"Actually, Stargate Command is an insanely _grey_ bunker," he said, "but the traveling to other worlds bit helps. It's hard to get bored when you're running for your life on a different planet every week."

"No, I guess not," Sheppard laughed.

Daniel liked his laugh; it reminded him of an old friend of his. "We're here," Daniel said at last, pushing open his office door. He looked for a place to put his stack of files and realized with some chagrin that there was really no place for them. He had been cross-referencing so many different texts in search of Atlantis that his office looked a bit like a tornado had hit it.

At last he decided to put the new stack on his chair, intending to tidy up a bit before getting back to work. Hands free, he turned to Sheppard to retrieve the pilot's stack and found the other man still staring dumbly around his office. Taking the files from him must have jostled him out of his stupor, because Sheppard dropped his arms and then shook his head.

"Holy shit, Doc!" he finally said. "How do you get any work done in here? I mean, do you ever sleep?" he indicated the overnight cot in the corner, which had long ago been converted into another desk space.

Daniel felt a blush rise in his cheeks. He was used to people who knew him - who knew his habits and how important his work was. Daniel opened his mouth to inform this young pilot exactly who he was talking to when his stomach grumbled.

"And you don't eat, either, do you?" Sheppard shook his head. "Come on." Without another word, he grabbed Daniel's wrist and began to tug him towards the door.

"Wha- what? No… I-" Daniel protested, tugging back on his captured arm. "Where are you trying to take me?"

Sheppard snorted. "I _am_ taking you to get something to eat."

"I do not need to be dragged to the commissary to be fed, _Major_." Daniel snapped, digging in his heels. "I happen to be a fully grown man who is capable of taking care of himself."

Sheppard said nothing, and despite Daniel's struggles, the pilot was stronger than his skinny frame would suggest; he was slowly moving the protesting Doctor down the hallway. Daniel was opening his mouth to protest again when another door in the hallway opened.

Dr. Weir stepped out of her office briskly, but then paused to watch the scene, an amused smile on her face. "What's going on here?" she asked when they drew a bit closer.

"Dr. Jackson here hasn't eaten yet, Ma'am," Sheppard said politely, as though he wasn't manhandling the doctor in question past her office, "so I was just escorting him to the commissary."

"Really?" Weir turned her gaze to Daniel, raising her eyebrow in a way that he recognized.

"I am not hungry, Elizabeth. I ate earlier." Daniel insisted, tugging on his captive arm again. Unfortunately his stomach chose then to betray him, rumbling again.

"I see," Elizabeth smiled. "Well Doctor, it's good to see that someone other than General O'Neill is willing to drag you away from your work. Carry on, Major."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Sheppard said, striding forward again.

Feeling a little betrayed, Daniel glared at Elizabeth until she was out of sight and then turned his attention back to the determined pilot. He knew from experience with Jack that he was going to end up in the commissary whether he liked it or not, so he finally decided to give in. "Fine," he heaved a sigh. "I'll come get something to eat."

Sheppard glanced over his shoulder, a cocky grin lighting up his face. "I thought you'd agree," he declared brashly, his hold on Daniel's wrist never loosening.

\---ATA---

To his annoyance, Daniel's days began to fall into a pattern. He would get up, grab a quick bite to eat, and then lose himself in his work. At exactly a quarter past noon, Sheppard would show up, balancing a tray with two lunches on it and that brazen smile on his face. Then he would sit there while Daniel ate, eating his own meal in silence, occasionally poking at an artifact or book.

When Daniel finished eating, Sheppard would collect the dishes and leave again, only to return at exactly 6:15 with two dinner trays, when he would repeat the process.

Daniel wasn't sure what to think of the extra attention. One the one hand, he hadn't missed a meal in two weeks, and he had energy to spare, but on the other, the major's actions were a little creepy. Particularly so the day he interrupted Daniel's heated argument with Dr. McKay with _three_ lunch trays awkwardly balanced on his arms. Or the night a few days later when the same thing happened with Dr. Beckett.

Things came to a head, though, when Sheppard managed to find him in a storage room, where he had come searching for a book and lost track of time. At exactly a quarter past he showed up with the usual two meals, finally pushing Daniel past his limit.

"Alright, fine, I give up!" he threw his hands up. "How do you know? Are you following me or something? Why do you keep bringing me meals?"

Sheppard looked a little taken aback, but he still calmly placed one tray in front of Daniel before sitting on a box with his own. "Which question should I answer first?" he asked innocently.

"Go in order." Daniel snapped, loosing his patience with this whole game.

"Okay. You know how I have the gene thing, right?" Sheppard began, somehow managing to eat and talk clearly at the same time. "The one that connects to something in all this stuff?"

"Yes."

"Well it isn't just in that glowy chair or all the little doodads that McKay keeps shoving at me. Whatever it is that connects to my genes is in everything these Ancient's made."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked suspiciously. He had an idea where this was leading and he didn't like it one bit.

"Everything here, even the walls, respond to me." Sheppard admitted.

"So you are watching me in my office!" Daniel declared, feeling anger build.

"No!" Sheppard seemed truly surprised in his denial. "Nothing like that! I can't see through walls or anything."

"Then how do you know where I am and who is with me?"

Sheppard squirmed a little in his seat before replying. "I just asked the walls if you were in your office, or if anyone else was with you that I should know about. I didn't want to interrupt anything important"

Daniel sat down, hard. The walls talked to this guy? Either they had given security clearance to a complete nut-job, or there was more to this ATA Gene than Dr. Beckett had discovered.

"It likes you, you know." Sheppard's odd comment broke through Daniel's thoughts.

"Uhhh, what?"

"The base. It likes you. More than most of us, actually."

"What're- what're you talking about?" A small part of Daniel's brain insisted that he probably didn't want to know the answer to that, but the rest of him forged on ahead.

"There are a about a dozen people - Sergeant Bell, Anya Sidorova, Cecilia Delgado, Sergeant Miller, Dr Iijima, Holle Vogel, Nurse Baker, Lieutenant Lorne, Dr. Beckett, General O'Neill, and myself. This base likes all of us better than the rest of the people here. It ranks us in that order, actually - lowest to highest. And you it likes most of all."

Daniel's stunned brain finally comprehended what he was hearing and he let out a long breath. "The ATA Gene." Sheppard had just listed everyone on the Base with the gene, and accurately ordered them by proficiency.

"Yeah, I figured that part out." Sheppard grinned. "But I couldn't figure out how you fell into it. Dr. Beckett said you didn't have the gene."

"Uhh, no, no I don't." Daniel admitted. His brain racing through all the possible reasons for the base's inclinations.

"Which leads me to wondering why the base is so attracted to you," Sheppard said. "Why we all are."

Daniel looked up and had a split second to wonder when Sheppard had moved closer to him before the Major was leaning in, kissing him.

Like a dam being broken, Daniel was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion that wasn't his own. Age, sorrow, excitement, amusement, wisdom, and feelings he had no name for, but all of it drowning in a sense of cheerful humor. Was that the base?

A wave of gleeful affirmation rippled through his brain and Daniel groaned in frustration. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that he was being kissed, and Sheppard took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into Daniel's mouth. Fighting through the high the base was filling his brain with, Daniel managed to regain control of his own body and he pushed Sheppard away.

The base was chattering in his mind and Sheppard was looking at him in a mixture of lust and hurt confusion and he just wanted everyone to leave him alone. Feeling completely lost, Daniel simply said the first thing that came to his mind. "But we're both men."

Sheppard grinned, once again the cocky pilot. "According to the base, 'the Ancients didn't let little things like gender interfere in their love lives,'" he declared.

"Oh." In his mind, the base added what he could only describe as a nod, affirming the other man's statement. "But why me?" he asked, still trying to figure out why the base, and why all the people with the ATA gene, were so attracted to him.

To his surprise, it wasn't Sheppard, but the base that responded. He received an image of himself, then of himself Ascended, followed by what appeared to be a group of Ancients Ascending inside the base. "Because I was Ascended?" he asked, trying to piece together the images and emotions he was receiving. "I _feel_ like the Ancients?"

More spectral nodding, and Daniel sighed. At least this explained the odd behavior of Jack, Beckett, and the others. "So you just want me because I remind you of the Ancients," he said, not realizing that he was still speaking aloud.

"No!"

No!

The vehement declaration came from both Sheppard and the base, and Daniel jumped slightly at the strong emotions he could feel from both of them. This time, though, it was Sheppard who answered. "It's not what you think. We aren't blindly lusting after you without any rational thoughts of our own. We aren't _love slaves_ or anything like that." John paused, clearly searching for the right words.

"Think of it like this. Sometimes you're walking down the street and you see someone and you go, wow, that's one hot babe. Or dude. And you run into them again later and have a chance to talk, and you realize that you really like them for their personality and brains and all that too, right? And when you're with them you feel good."

Daniel nodded, following along for the moment.

"Okay, so the ATA base thing just kind of eliminates those two steps. We see you, and we know right away that you have the hot body, and the personality, and the compatibility and all that, and there's this little voice in your head saying 'go for it.'"

"Ummm…"

"But that's where it becomes our choice. Do we go for it or not? We decide."

This was all beginning to make a kind of sense to Daniel, though he almost wished it didn't. "So all ten or so of you decided to come after me?"

Sheppard's grin somehow got bigger. "I wouldn't know, since we all made our decisions individually. Have each of us really made a pass at you?"

Daniel thought for a moment. He hadn't had many interactions with Sergeants Bell or Miller, though Lieutenant Lorne often volunteered to carry heavy things for him. Anya was a fellow linguist, but he hadn't noticed anything odd from her. Cecilia Delgado and Holle Vogel he knew by name only, as they were in the Chemistry and Botany departments, respectively. He had already noticed the odd behavior in Jack, Dr Iijima, and Dr. Beckett, and now that he thought about it, Baker almost always assisted the Scotsman when he was poking and prodding Daniel. "No, not from all of you," he finally admitted.

"Well there you go!" Sheppard spread his hands out proudly, "Some of us decided to go for it and some of us didn't!"

"But why?"

Sheppard looked askance at him. "You're kidding, right? You can't tell me that you've never noticed how hot you are. And you're just an amazing person. I've only been here three weeks and I already know that. You can't tell me that this is the first time someone has hit on you?"

No, no, he had definitely been hit on before. But usually the one hitting on him were Goa'ulds or evil princesses who got him addicted to the sarcophagus or crazy bounty hunters or the destroyer of worlds or something equally unpleasant. Daniel was having trouble remembering the last person who hit on him who wasn't a sociopath.

The base presented him with an image of Sha're.

Wonderful. The last person - sane person - who had hit on him had been turned into a Goa'uld, and that was nine years ago. He really did need to meet more nice people.

The base presented him with an image of Sheppard.

'Sheppard is nice?' Well, Daniel supposed he was.

The base showed him Lorne, Iijima, Baker, Beckett, and Jack in quick succession.

'They're all nice too?' He questioned, and received a sense of affirmation from the base. 'Of course they are. Am I allowed to chose anything for myself, or do you have to have final approval of everything I do?' He snapped mentally. Daniel was getting sick of this pushy Ancient base.

With a sense, almost of reluctance, the city showed him Sam, Weir, McKay, and a few other members of the program.

'Oh, so I have more choices? That's very generous of you.' Daniel shoved away the thought that he was berating an inanimate object. 'Has it occurred to you that most of these people will be leaving soon for Atlantis?'

The base's response was very complex, but Daniel got an image of himself talking to Landry, and of his approved ATA choices standing in the control room, looking at an open wormhole. The set of images was repeated until Daniel finally stopped them.

'I can request that they not be sent to Pegasus,' he thought. 'If I want them to be with me here all I have to do is pull some strings.'

The base gave what could only be described as an emotional shrug. Then in quick succession it showed Sheppard kissing Daniel and then walking cheerfully through the gate.

'You're suggesting a one-night staaaa…' Daniel's mental voice trailed off as he realized that the image he had just seen was of the kiss Sheppard had given him a moment ago. Sheppard who was still here, and calmly eating his dinner.

The base obliged him with the image of Sheppard patting Daniel's knee comfortingly and then reaching over to the crate where he had left his tray, never breaking contact with Daniel, who was lost in thought.

As soon as the base finished, Daniel opened his eyes and saw that Sheppard was now smiling encouragingly at him.

"What do you want from me?" Daniel asked cautiously. Despite the base's affirmation, Daniel wasn't used to meeting new people who didn't want to use him in some way.

"Nothing more than you're willing to give," Sheppard replied easily. "If you want me too, that'd be great. If you've got someone else in mind, or you just want to stop eating properly again, then I'll back off." This was all delivered with a lazy smile, and Daniel still couldn't help but wonder if it was an act.

The base quickly supplied him with images from the past few weeks. Sheppard with Elizabeth, McKay, and Dr Beckett, treating all of them with the same easy familiarity. But there was something different about his eyes when he looked at Daniel; something that Daniel wasn't sure he really wanted defined.

"What if I do want you to back off?"

Sheppard did a credible job of hiding his disappointment, but Daniel could see it flash across his face before he offered a weaker smile. "Then I'll tell you to enjoy your dinner and I'll go work on some paperwork Dr Weir's been bugging me for." Sheppard nimbly rose to his feet with his tray and walked out of the storage room. "I'm sure I'll see you around, Dr Jackson," he called back.

Daniel watched the man go with a mixture of pleasure and suspicion, and he could feel the base's disappointment, but he shoved all of it to the back of his mind; he had work to do. Absently munching on his dinner, Daniel returned to his artifacts.

\---ATA---

Four days passed, and Daniel didn't see Sheppard once. He also missed dinner twice, and lunch all four days. As much as he hated to admit it, Sheppard's attention had been nice, as had the meals.

Daniel finally put down the report that he had been failing to read for the last half hour and glanced at the clock. Six thirty. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled. With a sigh, Daniel carefully wove his way between the stacks of files and books and slipped out of his office.

Entering the commissary, he almost immediately saw Sheppard eating with Doctors McKay and Beckett. The pilot's head shot up when Daniel entered, and he offered a warm smile. Daniel returned it and then quickly got a tray of food. He joined the others, sitting in the conveniently empty seat beside Sheppard.

The meal was brief, but pleasant, and filled with idle chatter about the day's events on the base. When it was over, Daniel made his move, hoping that he didn't blush as he asked, "Oh, Major Sheppard, there are a few large things I need moved in the archives. Could I perhaps borrow you for a moment?"

In his usual nonchalant way, Sheppard replied, "Sure, Doc," but Daniel could feel the Base's glee, and he knew the other man must as well.

Daniel waited until they were safely back in his office, and he had found suitable floor space for the stone he wished to translate, before saying anything more. "Major, I have something to tell you," he offered nervously.

"You can call me John, or Sheppard, if you like," the other man replied easily.

"Very well, John." Daniel cleared his throat. "I've missed seeing you, these past few days. And, I admit, I missed those regular meals of yours."

John grinned widely at that.

"And, I wish to let you know, that, if you still are interested, I am amenable to a short relationship with you." Daniel wasn't sure who was more excited: himself, the Base, or John.

"Well, I'm not sure what the fancy word in the middle means, but given the other reaction I'm getting, I'm going to go with 'yes,'" John declared.

Daniel frowned lightly. "Oh, I'm sure you know what 'amenable' means, Major. I did read your file before agreeing to this, you know." It might not be common knowledge around the base, and certainly the pilot played the average, but he was quite intelligent. "Besides, you're not the only military man in my life who likes to play dumb."

John's grin grew even wider, and from the twinkle in his eye, Daniel knew that he was also thinking of the General. "Alright, I retract my previous prevarication," John teased.

"Good." Daniel nodded assertively. "So, shall we?"

"Well, I was going to ask, 'your bunk or mine,'" John nodded towards the all-but-invisible cot in the corner, "but I'd say that question's moot."

With a teasing slap, Daniel followed him from the office.

\---ATA---

As the wormhole closed and Jack stepped away from the Gate, Daniel felt a curiously pleased sense of peace. Yes, he had teased Jack about joining the Expedition, but that had everything to do with the promise of an Ancient city and almost nothing to do with the disappearance of one Major John Sheppard through the Gate.

They had said their goodbyes, to each other and to the Base, back in Antarctica, and that was that. The last few weeks had been great – the companionship, the regular meals, and of course the sex – but Daniel had specified from the beginning that it wasn't going to go any farther than that. John was leaving for the Pegasus Galaxy, and Daniel was letting him, and they were both satisfied with that.

Of course, Daniel amended his thoughts as he walked back down the hall to his real office, if the Expedition ever returned… that would be a whole different matter.


End file.
